Saint Philip 1535 - 1545

Curator: So, we’re looking at "Saint Philip" here, an engraving made between 1535 and 1545 by the Sienese artist Domenico Beccafumi. It’s currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. What jumps out at you? Editor: It feels…fragmented, doesn't it? The figure is enveloped in deep shadow, but lit just enough, leaving this wonderfully enigmatic and contemplative presence. It feels intimate. Curator: Definitely. The intense contrasts are something to note, and the Mannerist style lends to a heightened sense of drama. It’s also part of a series. Editor: Oh, I sense that. The single figure isolated against that striated darkness—is it meant to suggest a void, the burden the saint is carrying, or just a curtain in some Renaissance staging? Curator: It’s interesting you say that! Beccafumi’s artistic formation took place largely around theatrical set design, in addition to his study of painting techniques. Editor: I see! Well it’s difficult not to feel pulled in, there is this sense that it's pulling back, withholding, resisting neat interpretations. We have Philip, clutching what appears to be a book, holding what could be a simple staff but could be the symbol of martyrdom: the Cross! I also find myself drawn to his feet. I suppose that the intentional roughness—like sketches, makes the artwork quite modern for the time. Curator: You’ve hit on a crucial aspect of its style, that recalls Michelangelo. It has an energy that surpasses even the standards of the time and reminds me of how artists like Beccafumi are re-discovered by the general public after the passage of several eras. The way that light falls over the subject anticipates future periods, even 20th-century film noir. Editor: Exactly. The way the heavy shadows emphasize Saint Philip's presence! One has the sensation of not really getting to know this mysterious person! Almost an unsettling feeling. Curator: Well, considering Saint Philip’s role as an apostle and martyr, perhaps “unsettling” is an apt reaction. The drawing captures that internal struggle. Editor: Agreed. It's a wonderful push and pull – historical weight and almost eerie mystery, frozen in ink. Thanks, Domenico. Curator: Thanks for seeing this today.